Trash is all around us; it’s alongside the roads, in the parks, under water in the streams and creeks, and by the ocean. It seems wherever one goes, items such as plastic bottles, paper wrappers, thrown-away food, plus other debris litters our environment. It is such a common sight that most people ignore it, and even worse, contribute to adding to the trash problem. In author Melinda M. Fons’ illustrated children’s book titled, Pickup Pals, readers are introduced to Stella, a good little girl with something which is brought out in the story – social consciousness and awareness of the trash causing hardships to nature and its inhabitants. Stella goes with her class on a field trip to a Nature Park, where the ranger actually shows the class an owl in a cage. The bird was put into the cage for its own protection, as it was rescued while eating food particles stuck to plastic containers and some of the plastic was ingested.